Collaborating
by Mocha.Chiato
Summary: Adam Lambert is on Ellen promoting his new album. What happens when Bill Kaulitz shows up as a surprise guest? ALBK Please note: Slash, swearing and sexual implications.


So, I think this might be a rather long author's note. First of all, I'm not quite sure how to disclaim or categorize this fic. I guess all I can say is that I am in no way implying anything about the real relationship between Bill Kaulitz and Adam Lambert nor am I qualified to make accurate predictions about their upcoming or future albums. I think that was formal enough...

Also, I would like to apologize in advance for any non-"canon" facts. I did do some Google research before I posted this, but there were some facts that I was unable to verify and some that I made up entirely. If you can correct those sorts of faults, leave me a review and let me know, and I'll try to change it unless it is completely incompatible with the story.

Finally, I am aware that Bill is straight, and I'm actually glad he is, because I think he is helping to break stereotypes about sexuality and gender. I know that as a straight woman I would love to go out with a guy who wore make up or dressed like one of these two. However, I was reading about Adam's "celebrity crush" on Bill, and I just thought they would make a cute couple. That's what fanfiction is for, right?

This is also my first time writing smut, so I didn't feel comfortable going into explicit detail. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to improve that aspect of the story. Maybe once I have time to play around with writing that sort of thing a bit more, I will post an extended version of this one shot.

Oh, and for anyone who wants more SSHG: it's coming! The fic Going Nowhere is not abandoned. It is, however, on hiatus until I get it at least three-quarters of the way finished. I'm working fifty hours a week, give or take, and I don't want to drag on a WIP, because I know how much that sort of thing drives me crazy when other authors do it.

Thank you all for your kind reviews on my other stories!

* * *

Adam shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was getting tired of the incessant questions about Kris, the constant references to his sexuality.

"I've said it before, a crush is a very non-threatening thing. Kris is straight and happily married, and we are both happy to be great friends."

"And that's a commendable attitude to take," Ellen replied, smiling.

It wasn't that Adam didn't like Ellen; he loved being on her show. But after the month long whirlwind of interviews to promote his second album since American Idol, he couldn't wait to get back home for a couple weeks off before his international tour in the summer.

"You've also mentioned another crush of yours in several interviews."

Bill. Honestly, he thought, one word on anything to do with my love life and it's all anyone can talk about.

"People do seem very interested in my crushes," he said over the studio audience's cheering.

"One of the downsides of celebrity, then?" Ellen asked.

"Well, you're not seeing me at my best right now. It's been a long month. I have to admit, I can't wait to get down to the actual performing and singing part of this album promotion." He lightened the admission with a flash of a grin, which sent the crowd into another massive round of screams, forcing both Adam and his interviewer to remain silent for the next few moments.

"Well," Ellen started after the ruckus had died down, "that's exactly what you're going to be doing after this break. We'll be right back, and Adam will be meeting a special guest and performing his new single 'Straw Men' off his new album Wild Thing."

A final grin as the camera zoomed in on his face, and then they were off air.

"This is some serious stuff," he joked, rolling his neck a bit, prompting a grin from Ellen.

"Getting fed up with all these interviews?"

"Well, I guess I signed up for it, right? I knew what I was getting into. And I admit I've always been a bit of a ham. I love the attention."

"And we can tell."

"Was that a subtle dig?" he shot back, smiling.

"Never."

Adam laughed despite himself.

The audience laughed along with him, reminding him that this was still a performance in its own way.

"What is this thing about a surprise guest, anyway? Why didn't I hear about this before?"

"It's a surprise, Adam," Ellen teased, "But I do promise it's a good one."

"Now you're making me nervous."

"We're back on air in five... four..." The director's voice cut loudly through their easy banter and had them both sitting back up in their chairs, readying themselves to be back on national television.

"Three... two... one!"

Adam listened as Ellen reintroduced the show and summarized what had happened thus far in a few short sentences.

"And now we have a special guest joining us... Someone who Adam should be very happy to see, and who has never been on Ellen before!"

The crowd cheered loudly, screaming such a wide variety of names that Adam couldn't make out any particular one. For some reason, he felt tense, although it was strange to be nervous about such a silly thing. With a bit of luck, it'd be Kris. He loved doing interviews with him. But Kris had been on Ellen before, of course.

And then the music in the background changed, and he knew who their guest was. His heart sunk. This was not how he had imagined their first meeting.

"I present Bill Kaulitz of world famous German rock group, Tokio Hotel!" Ellen yelled over the noise of the audience, and Bill entered with that almost feminine swagger of his to the beat of "Automatic", the band's 2009 single.

There was the usual roar and fuss as Bill figured out where to sit and Adam shuffled over to make room for him on the couch. There was the usual awkward moment: handshake or hug, nod or hello? And then there was finally silence, as the cheering died down and the crowd waited for Adam's reaction.

No, definitely not how he had imagined this meeting.

"So, Adam, how does it feel to meet Bill Kaulitz in the flesh?" Ellen asked with a bright smile, breaking a silence that was bordering on awkward.

For once, Adam was honestly lost for words. "Well, I guess..." You're acting like the world's biggest idiot, he thought, searching for something that would be witty and mature and suave and... "Umm, I'm speechless." Smooth.

Bill laughed. Could this day get any worse? He'd already had to deal with that woman on Fox this morning who couldn't talk about anything but his eyeliner, and now this?

"We'll give you some time to regroup there, Adam," Ellen laughed, before turning to her new guest. "So Bill, when you came in I played a single off your album Humanoid that was released almost two years ago now. Do you have a new album in the works? Are you in the studio now?"

"I am happy to say that the internet rumours of the last few months about a new Tokio Hotel album are completely true. We are in the studio and..."

He was forced to stop at the deafening roar that rose from the audience, which soon became a standing ovation. Adam grinned at him, grateful for the new subject of conversation.

It was a good minute later when Ellen finally spoke, quieting the applause and continuing the discussion. It was some time later when Ellen brought them back to the original topic, with a comment on Adam's silence.

"I just don't have too much to say," he laughed, "Congratulations on the new album." Why was he incapable of normal speech?

"So in previous interviews, you've talked about Bill quite a bit, right?"

"Yes."

There was a pause, and then, finally, Adam came up with something.

"I'm starting to wish I hadn't," he piped up with a laugh. "If I'd known I'd get to embarrass myself on TV because of it..."

A ripple of laughter went through the crowd.

"So, is he as awe-inspiring in person as in his performances?"

"Much more so."

"Hey, let's not forget, I'm right here!" Bill joked, his German lisp sending a shiver through Adam.

It was, Adam reflected afterward, very probably one of the most painful, stilted conversations of his life. Even Ellen had sensed the tension and had moved along fairly quickly to the performance part of the night, to his relief. Not that the performance was that much easier, with Bill sitting feet away from him beside Ellen.

It was definitely unexpected. When he had spoken of Bill in interviews previously, it had been as a celebrity crush, just as he said it was. It was supposed to be silly and meaningless and it definitely wasn't supposed to be so... raw. So overpowering.

He couldn't remember ever being so affected by a guy he didn't even know before. He had felt this way in the beginning stages of his relationship with Drake, maybe, but it had faded quickly. This was inexplicable, and consequently frightening.

Oh well, he thought, giving a shrug to himself as he touched up his eyeliner in the dressing room mirror before leaving the studio, at least it's just a crush. I've had lots of those before. He capped the kohl stick, turned around and walked straight into Bill.

"Oh! Sorry," he exclaimed, "I'm really sorry, I didn't see you."

"That much is clear," Bill said, the note of laughter in his voice making his accent more pronounced. "I just wanted to say hi. You seemed really nervous during the interview."

"I was."

Suddenly Bill looked so young standing before him, so naive. And for some reason, that only made him want him more.

"Are you doing anything now? Tom's flying in in the morning, and Georg and Gustav are going to be here on Wednesday. I was thinking we could grab something to eat and talk. I knew I was going to be meeting up with you, and so I did a bit of research into your music, and I was thinking we could maybe do something together." Bill's words rang with confidence, and his lips twitched in a slightly cocky grin as he finished his run-on request. Adam wondered if there was a hint of self-doubt hiding under that polished exterior, even as he suppressed the rather vivid image that came to mind at the singer's finishing words.

What exactly did you want to do, Adam wanted to ask in the sultry voice that he knew he could pull off. What came out of his mouth instead, however, was: "Wow, that sounds amazing. I was just getting ready to go now."

The meeting that followed should have been awkward. It really should have been. But somehow, it wasn't. It was nothing short of heavenly, in fact. What started as a fifteen minute discussion over coffee seemed to morph into an hour long brain storm over an eclectic collection of ideas, ranging from songs about love to songs about croissants, the latter during a particularly silly moment.

"What would really be cool," Adam put in at one point, "would be if we could do a song with German and English parts, with some sort of alternation."

"I have to do another morning show tomorrow," Adam said some time later, regretfully. "Tomorrow's my last day of the talk show promotion, so I really need to be up and on time."

"Yeah, I've got to be at the airport at some hellish time tomorrow morning to pick up Tom."

"Where are you staying?"

"The hotel on Empress."

"Nice," Adam replied, half-impressed, half-teasing.

"Oh, quiet," Bill answered with a chuckle, "I'm not the one who chose the place."

"Hey, luxury is a good thing," Adam quipped, throwing his hands up in the air in his defense.

"Where are you staying, then?"

"With a couple of friends here, actually. I'm going out with them tomorrow night to celebrate the end of this tour."

"Lucky," Bill grumbled, as they both headed out the door. "They'll be a hoard of people hanging around the hotel when I get back."

"Oh well, such is the life of a star." Adam gave a mocking sigh, and Bill glared at him half-heartedly in reply. "Oh, come on," he continued, "It can't be as bad here as it is in Europe."

"No, it's not," Bill admitted, hailing a taxi as he glanced over his shoulder at the other singer. "Share the taxi?"

"Sure." Bill, Adam was quite sure, would most definitely not have offered to share the taxi with him if he knew what was going through his mind just then. If he could hear the way the blood was rushing, hot, through his veins, or how sweaty his palms were. If he knew exactly what he fantasized would happen in that taxi. Of course, Bill was straight. Just remember that, he chided himself, and held the door open for Bill, who nodded his head in recognition and climbed into the car.

"We're going to the Governor's Hotel, please, and then..." Bill turned to Adam in askance.

"2349 Roberts," Adam supplied, to which the driver nodded.

"Sounds good, boys," he smiled at them, and the taxi lurched off. It was actually getting almost dusky outside; they had spent quite a while in the small cafe they had picked.

Adam could feel a reawakened tension hanging between him and Bill. Or perhaps, he thought, he was just imagining it because of the sudden resurgence of his desire for the younger man.

In his mind, Bill's hands were pressed to the seat on either side of him, as he probed his mouth, his erection pressed into Adam's stomach.

Stop. Just stop now.

"So," Bill said , breaking the silence.

Adam looked at him questioningly, raising an eyebrow, all while willing his brain to focus elsewhere, with limited success.

"So," Bill continued, "What's this about you having a crush on me?"

Bill immediately turned bright red, while Adam's head swiveled around to the driver, who had not flinched at this strange pronouncement. He must have seen everything there is to see, Adam reasoned with a flutter of amusement.

"You're my celebrity crush," Adam replied, too astounded to come up with a reasonable lie, "You know, like your dream boy who you don't know and won't ever meet, but you sort of like anyways."

"Well, you've met me now." Bill blushed even more fiercely, so that the red that extended to the roots of his hair was visible even in the darkening cab.

"I have."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What do you think?"

"Well..." Adam was at a loss for words. "You're very attractive. And sweet."

"Thank you."

There was a silence then, at once painfully awkward and strangely comfortable.

"Well then, you wouldn't mind if..." Bill started, clearing his throat oddly at the beginning of the sentence.

Adam didn't let his imagination complete the sentence, only waited in silence, giving no indication that he had heard the other. He was scared to speak, scared to move, scared to make the wrong move.

And then Bill's hands were pressing into the seat behind his shoulders, just as he had imagined moments ago, and his lips were brushing Bill's.

"I've wanted you ever since you said that ridiculous opening line on Ellen today," Bill whispered against his lips, allowing Adam to pull his tongue into his mouth, engaging in a dance that had both men on edge, pulling closer to one another. Bill was straddling him now, pressing crotches and abs and arms together, every inch of joined skin aflame with desire.

"Hmmm..." Adam managed to get out some minutes later, the only response he could offer to Bill's confession in his lust-fogged state.

Soon Adam was reaching behind Bill, stroking his hands down the other's back and cupping his ass; he was rewarded by the very visible shiver that went through Bill.

"Just one stop then, boys?" the taxi driver asked, startling both singers as they realized that they had indeed arrived at Bill's hotel.

Adam was about to reply in the negative, but Bill answered before he could.

"Yeah, we'll both get out here."

Desire surged through Adam once again; suddenly he couldn't pull his wallet out fast enough, couldn't care less about the cab fare or exact change or even the paparazzi who were already realizing that Bill had arrived and that there was someone in the car with him.

Adam grabbed Bill's hand and pushed quickly towards the hotel doors, as lights flashed behind them. The multitude of voices was catching up to them, swarming around them with questions and cameras. Bill was fumbling for his hotel key, and finally pushing open the door.

"What happened on The Ellen Show today, Adam?"

"What is your relationship with the American Idol runner-up, Bill?"

"Any comments for the press, Adam?"

"Yes," Adam shouted as he followed Bill through the doors, turning his head over his shoulder to address the mob. "We're going to get fucking laid! Will that keep your gossip mill churning for the next couple of weeks?" And he slammed the door closed behind him, breathing deeply. The pair stood in the glass doorway for a moment, insulated from the sound but not from the questions, catching their breath.

Adam blushed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"I don't care," Bill laughed, and pulled Adam in for another kiss, not so long this time, but no less passionate. Bulbs flashed behind the glass.

"Shall we go up, then?" Bill asked, a mischievous grin on his face.

*l*l*

Adam woke the next morning to sunlight streaming in the hotel window and Bill's shoulder-length hair splayed out on the bed.

He blinked, shook his head, and rolled over, as though that could make it less real. His mind was reeling with questions, foremost amongst them being: "So is Bill gay? And does he want me?" He pushed them down and headed to the bathroom. Maybe he would make some eggs and toast. The kitchen had seemed reasonably well-stocked last night, not that he had taken much time to look around it. He knew he didn't want to leave; he hoped Bill wouldn't want him to, either, when he woke up.

Fifteen minutes later, a sleepy-eyed Bill stumbled into the kitchen, half-dressed and looking slightly dazed.

"Breakfast?" Adam asked, trying to sound nonchalant and probably failing. He had trouble with nonchalance when Bill was around, he'd noticed.

"Please," Bill replied, smiling at him.

Those lips, so swollen with kisses, looked so inviting, so red. Adam found himself unable to tear his eyes from them, and the eggs were suddenly forgotten on the stove.

"Kiss me?" he whispered, unable to speak the words aloud in case it should break the spell that seemed to have fallen over the room.

"After last night, you have to ask?" Bill joked, leaning in for a quick kiss.

Relief flooded Adam. "I wanted to be sure," he defended himself, "Until yesterday, I didn't even know..."

"That I was gay?"

"Well, yes."

"Bi, actually."

"But why... Why is it such a big secret? And why did you bring me back here? And... Now I'm asking to many questions." He smiled and shook his head.

"You could never ask too many questions."

And this time it was Adam who leaned into kiss Bill, gently at first, then more deeply, until he was pressed against the kitchen counter and Adam's shirt had been discarded.

Suddenly, a buzzing noise rang through the hotel room, startling both men into jumping apart, staring around them for the source of the noise.

"Smoke alarm," Adam cursed, grabbing the frying pan, now caked with a sticky layer of blackened egg, and switching off the stove, while Bill grabbed a dishtowel and waved it rather uselessly at the alarm.

"Fuck," Adam muttered.

Above the screeching of the smoke alarm, another sound could now be heard: a phone ringing.

"Fuck!" Adam repeated, more vehemently this time.

He grabbed his cellphone, only to be blasted with questions before he could even get out a greeting.

"What is this? You're on the cover of every gossip magazine in the country! What the fuck were you up to last night? And what is that awful noise?"

"Who is this?"

"Your fucking agent!"

"Oh god, sorry Max, I just didn't-"

"I don't care, just tell me what is going on." Max seemed to be slightly calmer. "I've been trying to get a hold of you all morning."

"It's only eight. I just got up," Adam answered, slightly annoyed.

"Have you forgotten you're supposed to be on Good Morning America right now?" Max had returned to yelling now. "What on earth are thinking? What the... You haven't been on this show since the AMA's last year when you got canceled and now you've slept through it!"

"Oh god."

Bill was now looking at him curiously.

"Wait a minute, Max," Adam said, cutting short a second tirade from the exasperated man.

"Good Morning America," he explained to Bill, whose mouth formed an 'o' of surprise and then comprehension. And then, suddenly, his face contorted into a look of panic.

"Tom!" he yelled, "And my phone is off." He continued in German that Adam couldn't understand and ran off to the bedroom.

Adam remained silent for a moment, processing this information. "Okay, Max? This is the plan. You're going to cancel all my shows today, apologize to whatever channel GMA is on, and then go to the airport and pick up Tom Kaulitz. I'll grab you his pho-"

"This is not some sort of joke! You can't just cancel engagements like this! I-"

"There are things more important in life than work," Adam cut him off, "And besides, all this media scandal is better for publicity than any talk show for publicity."

"Is that what this is? Some sort of twisted publicity stunt? I am your agent. Let me handle th-"

"What kind of monster do you think I am?" Adam was shouting back now, furious. "I don't fuck people for a couple tabloids."

"You slept with Bill? Oh God, I thought that was some kind of crazy rumour. This is a nightmare from start to finish."

"Just go get Tom, okay?" Adam slammed the phone down in frustration, and ran to find Bill in the bedroom. The singer was talking animatedly in a rapid German on his phone, making frequent gesticulations with his left hand.

It was some time before the chaos died down. It seemed that half the world was calling, panicking about some missed appointment or, more often, asking in garbled English if it was true that he had hooked up with Bill. Bill was having no less trouble, between making sure that Tom did indeed get a ride to the hotel from Adam's agent and fielding calls from half-crazed, often female, fans.

When they had both switched off their phones and all the arrangements were made, they both lay back on the bed and stared at each other, speechless, caught between frustration, amusement, and relief.

"How do these people get my phone number?" Bill finally said, shaking his head with unvoiced laughter.

"I know. It's crazy."

Adam's stomach rumbled, and both men burst into laughter.

"Shall I call room service?" Bill quipped.

"I can think of better things to do for now," Adam replied, laughter abating. "After all, we can eat once your brother gets here."

"Good plan," Bill agreed, before letting Adam cover his lips with his own.

* * *

Let me know what you think. Good, bad, dreadful? Thanks for reading!


End file.
